Eight Lords A' Leaping
by Blazingfyres
Summary: They seemed to be the only two people who remembered what had happened that night when he was feeling down and she had a little too much to drink. So how exactly did that make them the only hope for the universe? ZeLink. Rated T for language.
1. Glitches

**Hey Guys! So this was an idea inspired by the drawing that is actually the cover of this wonderful story (if I do say so myself). It was drawn by Finny Chang (finnichang) so follow her tumblr! She's so cool!**

**I intend to finish this by December 24th, so I'll really try hard to keep up with updates. This story is based off of one of my all-time favorite animes: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. More specifically, it parallels with the Endless Eight and Disappearance arcs. The idea is the same - just different characters and a little twist of my own. Modern AU, don't hate unless the writing sucks or something is unclear. I LOVE FEEDBACK, SO GIVE ME DA LOVE! (OR HATE, WHICHEVER)**

**I wanted to try and sort of follow the Skyward Sword characters without going too crazy. You'll see familiar names, like Link, Zelda, Impa, the Goddesses, Possibly Ganon/Ghirahim/Aghanim/Something-im (I haven't decided all of the baddies yet. HEHEHEHE) but then you'll maybe have a random Ravio or Karane or Pipit or an OC maybe.**

**~Disclaimer: I literally own nothing - the basis of the plot (Haruhi Suzumiya - inspired), the cover art (Finni Chang), the title (Twelve Days of Christmas), and the characters and story line (Legend of Zelda) - NOTHING EXCEPT THE ACTUAL WRITING.~**

**Well, I hope you enjoy! Rate, Review, Follow, Favorite!**

**~Blaze**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter One - Glitches<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 1, December 24th<strong>

**11:02 PM**

**University Main Hall**

Zelda settled the thick pair of glasses on her nose as she turned another heavy page of the book in her hands, ignoring the the alluring smell of alcohol and cheap cologne that filled her nose and shocked every sense in her body. Instead, she leaned over the bar's counter with no interest in anything except Emma and her stupid love story. Nope, nothing, not even her boyfriend who dumped her on Christmas eve.

Ex. Ex-boyfriend. Goddesses, she had to get used to that.

With a sigh of frustration, Zelda pounded her fist against the table, sending the wine glasses scattered across the table into a frenzy of spilling and tumbling. She ignored the glares and the insults thrown at her, shoving her face into the novel and pretending she didn't exist.

After a few minutes, when she looked up from her book again, she finally remembered why she was even here - the Christmas lights floating along the walls; the wonderful voices of the acapella group ringing blurrily in the haze of her brain; the smell of warm Yankee Candles. Zelda allowed herself to enjoy the lulling music, ignoring the insane amount of pain in her chest that came with the realization that she didn't have anyone to dance with. It occurred to her that someone had dragged her here to help her forget about her troubles. If they had assumed that she was going to drink at some cheap effort of a university Christmas party, though, then they were obviously wrong. She had to go find them later and punch them in the face. If it was Karane, then Zelda would be sure that the poor redhead wouldn't be able to find her roomkey for the next week.

With a sigh of discontentment, she went to finish the remaining few chapters -

- when she noticed the guy sitting next to her.

His dirty blonde hair fell into a mop over his head, his blueblueblue eyes bright from the glowing warmth of the disco lights. He kept staring at her, his eyes lit with something - something strange, something that made her feel uncomfortable. Their staring contest lasted for much longer than it should've, with Zelda pulling away after what seemed like an hour. She could still feel his eyes boring holes in the side of her head, and she suddenly found her hand trembling as she tried to concentrate on the book in front of her.

Zelda sighed at her failed attempt at reading, throwing a couple glances at him. His eyes hadn't left her, and she assumed that he was about to say something. Then he opened his mouth.

"Are you alright?"

She reluctantly met his stare once more. He seemed to realize her discomfort, so he averted his gaze back to his glass.

"Sorry. It's just that you look… well, you look like someone ran over your cat or something."

Zelda blanched, her hand shooting up to her cheek. She blinked in surprise when she found them to be moist. She didn't even realize she'd been crying before. Goddess, was she that pathetic?

Sniffling, she scrubbed her eyes with a frightening amount of vigor, not really caring that her mascara smeared over her sleeve. It was too dark to see her face clearly anyway. "Oh… um, well..." Zelda shifted slightly, taking a couple breaths. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it, especially with a stranger, but right now that didn't really matter.

"I, uh, I got dumped a couple hours ago, in a way," she finished lamely. "My boyfriend sort of kissed his ex. She yelled at him, he tried to - well, he got aggressive, and I jumped in and made hell happen." She sucked in a breath. "In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have given him a black eye, but I - I was angry."

The guy shrugged in recognition, though he did seem mildly concerned by the whole hitting part. "My girlfriend got tired of me, but she wasn't sure how to break it off. I pulled out last week before she threw me under the bus on Christmas."

"A shame," Zelda said jokingly, giving him a weak smile. "We could've been ditched together."

He chuckled as he brought the glass to his lips. "I guess the support would have been helpful."

Zelda shrugged, then went back to her book, feeling slightly better.

* * *

><p><em>The rest of the party was a blur, and when she woke up, she couldn't remember anything.<em>

_After all, it was December 17th the next morning. How could she remember a night that never happened?_

* * *

><p><strong>Week 2, December 24th<strong>

**11:07 PM**

**University Main Hall**

- not even her boyfriend who dumped her on Christmas eve.

Ex. Ex-boyfriend. Goddesses, she had to get used to that.

With a growl of frustration, Zelda pounded her fist against the table, sending the wine glasses scattered across the table into a frenzy of spilling and tumbling. She ignored the glares and the insults thrown at her, shoving her face into the novel and pretending she didn't exist.

After a few minutes, when she looked up from her book again, she finally remembered why she was even here - the Christmas lights floating along the walls; the wonderful voices of the acapella group ringing blurrily in the haze of her brain; the smell of warm Yankee Candles. Zelda allowed herself to enjoy the lulling music, ignoring the insane amount of pain in her chest that came with the realization that she didn't have anyone to dance with. It occurred to her that someone had dragged her here to help her forget about her troubles. If they had assumed that she was going to drink at some cheap effort of a university Christmas party, though, then they were obviously wrong. She had to go find them later and punch them in the face. If it was Karane, then Zelda would be sure that the poor redhead wouldn't be able to find her roomkey for the next week.

With a sigh of discontentment, she went to finish the remaining few chapters -

- when she noticed the guy sitting next to her.

_(She felt a pang in her chest then - something was different. Something had changed. But how could have something changed if she'd never seen it before?)_

His dirty blonde hair fell into a mop over his head, his green polo wrinkled and unbuttoned in a mess. She watched as he thanked the bartender for a glass of grape juice, his hazy blue eyes meeting hers when the glass reached his lips. Zelda winced just by seeing his dishevelled figure, the growing concern inside her stomach turning the holiday-themed cookies she had pigged out on an hour ago into a twisted knot.

Zelda hesitantly turned away, throwing a couple worried glances at him. His eyes hadn't left her, and she assumed that he expected her to say something. She opened her mouth.

"Are you alright?"

He blinked back at her, slightly surprised, his glass in midair as he went for a sip.

_(Somewhere in the back of her mind, Zelda was sure she had seen those deep blue eyes before.)_

"I'm sorry. I just... I thought you looked upset," she said, averting her gaze. "You look like someone ran over your cat or something." Somehow, Zelda was sure those words weren't her own, but she let the thought slide.

The boy stared at her for a long, frightening moment before sighing, dropping his cup to the table. For some reason Zelda thought she noticed a flicker of recognition in his eyes when he looked at her.

"I, um..." He hesitated, rolling his wrist slightly as he tore his eyes away from her. "I've been having a terrible week. Something... Something really strange happened. That's all."

"Oh." Zelda knew he was being cryptic for a reason, but she allowed it to pass. He seemed like he wanted to change the subject, too, because he suddenly said, "You look like hell yourself."

And so she told him what had happened between her and her goddamn bastard of a boyfriend, and the entire time, she felt as though he knew the story even before she had even started speaking. And for a moment she was sure that he had seen him somewhere, and she was about to ask him if she had seen him before -

* * *

><p><em>But then the moment passed - or maybe she allowed it to.<em>

_And when she woke up, it was December 17th, and she had forgotten._

* * *

><p><strong>Week 3, December 24th<strong>

**11:23 PM**

**Cloud University Main Hall**

- when she noticed the guy sitting next to her.

His dirty blonde hair fell into a mop over his head, his green polo slightly crumpled and loose. She watched as he thanked the bartender for a glass of grape juice, his blue eyes meeting hers when the glass reached his lips. Zelda blinked by seeing his dishevelled figure, the growing concern inside her stomach turning the holiday-themed cookies she had pigged out on an hour ago into a twisted knot.

_(Somehow, Zelda was sure he looked a lot better than the last time she's seen him, but then she caught herself - when had she ever seen this guy before?)_

Zelda hesitantly turned away, throwing a couple worried glances at him. His eyes had drifted away from her, instead staring straight at the glass. She opened her mouth hesitantly.

"Are you alright?"

He blinked back at her, slightly surprised, his glass in midair as he went for a sip.

_(Somewhere in the back of her mind, Zelda was sure she had seen those deep blue eyes before.)_

"I'm sorry. I just... I thought you looked upset," she said, averting her gaze. "You look like someone ran over your cat or something."

He rolled his eyes slightly, making Zelda feel strange - she was actually expecting him to stare at her again.

"I..." He hesitated, rolling his wrist slightly as he tore his eyes away from her. "I've been having a bad week. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary."

"Oh." Zelda knew he was being cryptic for a reason, but she -

_(There was that flicker again. That pang when she felt something was off. Vaguely, she wondered when the last time she felt like this, but it slipped away from her before she could grab it.)_

- Zelda knew he was being cryptic, so she pressed further.

"What do you mean, a bad week?" She found herself asking. "Is everything okay?"

That's when the boy started staring at her again, his eyebrows raised in surprise. She felt triumphant at that point, glad to get a familiar reaction. He kept doing that before taking a large gulp of his grape juice.

"If I told you, then you wouldn't believe me."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think I could make that assumption on my own."

He tilted his head as if considering, then looked at her with a slight breath. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt."

And then he leaned in and kissed her, hard.

Zelda squeaked when his lips touched hers, his entire smell, clouding her senses and filling her head. His tongue tasted like grape juice, his scent intoxicating her with grass and pine and something else -

She shoved him off of the barstool with full force, her eyes only seeing red as she heard the predictable crash of the guy falling to the ground. She heard herself shout a bunch of words she wasn't ready to repeat in her head, then stormed out, cheeks burning, eyes stinging.

* * *

><p><em>When she woke up on December 17th, she found her hand reach her lips.<em>

_Why? She had no idea._

* * *

><p>Week 4, December 24th<p>

11:37 PM

Cloud University Main Hall

- his blueblueblue eyes bright from the glowing warmth of the disco lights. He kept staring at her, his eyes lit with something - something like I-just-did-something-bad-and-if-you-find-out-you'll-probably-punch-me-to-the-moon type of guilt that made her feel uncomfortable. Their staring contest lasted for much longer than it should've, with Zelda pulling away after what seemed like a week. She could still feel his eyes boring holes in the side of her head, and she suddenly found her hands trembling as she tried to concentrate on the book in front of her.

_(For some reason, she was really, really tempted to punch him in the gut. Also, she was somewhat sure she had read this page of the book in front of her at least a billion times even though she checked it out only yesterday.)_

"What do you want?" Zelda asked, cringing when her voice came out as irritated.

The guy's expression changed from one of guilt to one of radiating hope, nearly scaring the hell out of her.

"So you do remember!" He yelled, smiling brightly, and Zelda felt her face go hot, her body slightly leaning away.

"R-remember what? I've never seen you in my life, dude. What the hell?"

_(For some reason, Zelda was sure she'd just lied, but she shrugged it off - of course she'd never seen him before!_

_...right?)_

His excitement suddenly died, his shoulders sagging and his lips turning down in a frown. "Damn," he muttered, turning away. "I'm sorry. You... I guess I thought you were someone else."

An awkward silence passed. Zelda snuck a glance - his frown hadn't disappeared. Feeling bad, she closed her book, hoping she wouldn't regret this.

"What's your name, anyway?" She asked.

"Link. Link Forester." He turned to her, raising his glass. He looked sort of surprised. "And you are...?"

"Zelda Harkinian," she replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Like the royal family from the middle of the second millennia," he said thoughtfully. "Interesting."

"How did you know?' She asked, slightly taken aback. "Not many people know about my heritage."

"Believe it or not, I also have some royal blood from that era as well," he replied, smiling. "My father was an archeologist. He dug up a couple temples from around that time. It was really cool. I remember when he took me there." Link's eyes gleamed with memories. "Turns out when he translated some of the runes we found our blood line was consistent with some of the names in our family." He raised his glass to her. "You must be pure Harkinian, then."

Zelda was awed. "That's really cool," she mumbled quietly. "Is your father still investigating...?"

She trailed off when she suddenly saw the light go out in his eyes. She knew that look anywhere - after all, she had worn it once herself.

Link shrugged. "He... Uh, he was killed in a cave-in when they were investigating one of the tunnels underground. Some people miraculously survived, but unfortunately he wasn't one of them. I was ten."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have asked." She sucked in a breath. "My mother was murdered when I was eight. I couldn't feel anything for months."

"Weird," Link said, acknowledging her with a nod of sympathy. "We both lost our parents when we were kids. We both got dumped on the same week. Strange, huh?"

"Yeah, you're right. Wait," said Zelda, blinking, "how did you know I got dumped?"

Link choked on his drink, looking at her with wide eyes as if he'd slipped something he shouldn't have. Then he composed himself, patting his chest with his hand.

"Huh. I thought you told me. Or don't you remember?"

Before she could say anything, he got up and left, disappearing in the crowd of people.

* * *

><p><em>On the morning of December 17th, Zelda woke up with a splitting headache, dreaming about a boy with bright blue eyes laughing at her as she stumbled across memories she never had.<em>


	2. Cinderella

**Hey! ;)**

**So here's chapter 2. Hope you like it! I actually kept my promise. December 24th, here we come!**

**Sorry if I didn't make this clear before, but this is sort of a time loop story. I kinda forgot to mention that... Hehehehe. I assumed everyone knew what Haruhi Suzumiya was. Well, enjoy. I wasn't really sure if I liked this chapter, so, uh, if it's really confusing, just let me know and I'll try to clarify.**

**Random Sherlock Holmes reference! Again, sorry if this is unclear. Don't be afraid to say your confused, because I probably did screw up miserably.**

**~Blaze**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 2: Cinderella<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Monday, December 19th<strong>

**4:36 PM**

**Baker Hall, Apt # 2210B**

Zelda had literally spent the last two days hyperventilating in her dorm room. Thankfully, it was winter break, so she didn't risk missing classes; even if she did, though, she figured she would have memorized the lectures from attending them for so long.

Which takes her back to the reason behind said panic attack.

The mysterious time loop wasn't making it any easier to deal with life. Zelda now regained memories of the past four weeks - no, more like four annoying reruns of the same week, and she had wound up with a nasty headache that was probably going to last her until the end of this whole fallout. Pretending it didn't happen wasn't going to be helpful, either - the more she tried to convince herself it wasn't real, the more she was inclined to throw herself out the window.

And she really didn't want to test if the time loop could turn back death, too.

She had thought of contacting other human beings to see if anyone else thought something was up, but Zelda was never really one of those mystery hunters. She prefered to stay out of trouble that took more effort than sitting down and watching a random show that didn't even suit her interests.

And honestly, she really didn't want to contact him of all people. That guy had cause her enough trouble as it was.

With a sigh, Zelda wrapped herself further into her blanket on the couch, her dead eyes blankly watching the blaring TV. Her fingers occasionally had the motivation to change the channel, but ultimately she was dead, and she seriously wasn't thinking about getting off of the soft cushions.

That is, until someone knocked on the door.

Blinking, she sat up and straightened her hair, brushing off her clothes and throwing on a warm sweater. Zelda wasn't used to visitors, especially on a Monday. Who the heck was at her door today? She padded over to the front and quickly undid the lock, suddenly conscious that her navy blue sweater didn't exactly go with the pale pink sweatpants she was wearing.

When she opened the door, she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from screaming.

"Mind if I come in," Link said lazily, pushing past her without even waiting for a reply. Zelda literally stood there for a minute with her mouth open and her door thrown wide until she had some sense to slam it as hard as she could, whirling on her heel and chasing after the blonde.

"What the_ hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Zelda shrieked, grabbing him by his green hoodie and yanking him back to meet her icy glare. When he turned in her direction, his eyes suddenly changed from one of confidence to uncertainty, his smirk falling into a worried scowl.

"You, uh… you do know who I am, right?" he asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, but - "

"Oh, thank goodness!" he said, relief escaping his lips. "For a second I was sure you thought I was some sort of creeper. Sorry."

"Are you - are you for real?" Zelda pushed him back, crossing her arms. "You just barged into my dorm! I'd think you were a creeper regardless of your identity!"

But she could see the amused look growing on his face, and she knew he was just messing with her and she hated the fact that her cheeks were heating up because he actually looked cute like _whattheactualhell_. "Whatever. Just - why are you here, anyway? And how exactly did you find me?"

"Oh." Link's expression shifted immediately, and he got this weird look on his face. "I - uh - well… I just need to show you something. Come on." He grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards the door.

Unfortunately for Link, Zelda was apparently more skilled in martial arts than he'd thought - maybe even imagined. She swung him around and threw him over her shoulder, satisfied with the groan that came from the impact.

"Aikido. Seven years," she said, "and before you say anything I've also done karate and mixed. Now, answer my question - how the heck did you find me?"

"Ahhhhh. _Ow_. I'm a weapons sort of dude. Fencing and kendo, to be specific. I'm a bit rusty with judo." He gave a pained snicker. "But I'm going to plead the fifth. You know, right to remain silent and all that."

Zelda eyed him as he stood up and ruffled his hair, rubbing the back of his neck. "Now, I apologize if you consider this sexual assault or breaking and entering," he said with a firm grunt, "but unfortunately you're coming with me."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then fine. No explanations, no problems. You'll be stuck here with no idea what's going on, nor any indication that we'll be getting out of this mess." He walked towards the door, waving exaggeratedly. "See ya."

"Wait. Hold on." Zelda ran straight for the bathroom right then, grabbing random clothes and locking the door behind her. She grabbed her phone off the sink - okay, so she left it there for once, don't judge -and replaced her old sweater with a fluffy pink one. She then loosely tied the ends of her hair back, pulling two groups up front and tying ribbons of blue and pink around each one. Her bangs fell over her forehead in a clean line. She didn't really try any makeup since she wasn't really going out to impress, but she did change her sweatpants to black tights with a skirt.

When she came out, Link's eyes went to her and stayed there.

"Off we go, then?" She said sweetly.

"R-right." Link cleared his throat. "You literally took fifteen seconds."

"I can be fast when I need to be."

He gave her an annoyed look, and she answered it with a smug smile. Link yanked out a set of keys from his pocket and jangled them in front of her.

"Off we go."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Week 5 - Monday, December 19th<strong>_

_**5:12 PM**_

_**University Grounds**_

_As he headed out, though, Zelda tapped his shoulder. "Link? One more thing."_

_"Yeah - "_

_Zelda grabbed his collar and pulled him forward, slamming her fist in his face. Link brought his own arm up slightly faster than expected, blocking some of the full force, but her punch was strong enough to send him crashing to the ground._

_"OWWW!" Link yelled, clutching his nose, his voice muffled by his hands. "What the hell was that for?!"_

_"That," she replied, cracking her knuckles, "was for kissing me without consent. Now let's go. I certainly want those answers, and sitting on the floor won't get them, you know." She made sure to scuttle out before him, hiding her burning face behind a manic smirk and her crazy hair._

_Grumbling curses and satanic mantras, Link followed behind._

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Monday, December 19th<strong>

**5:47 PM**

**Outside University Grounds.**

Zelda spent the first twenty minutes staring out the window, scooting her body as close to the door and as far away from Link as possible. There wasn't much to see, quite frankly. It always got darker much faster during the winter months. After a while, her legs started feel like lead, and she relaxed, falling into the soft leather of the passenger seat.

"Nice ride," she said, admiring the warm beige color of the entire vehicle.

"Thanks," Link said, his voice full of pride. "Epona's been my companion since I got her. Somehow always comes back to me. I guess it's an emotional attachment."

"Your car has an emotional attachment?"

"You'd be surprised."

Zelda laughed. "I'll take your word for it."

He shrugged, his eyes leaving the road every other minute to glance in her direction. "So if you haven't guessed, we're obviously in some sort of time loop."

"I figured that out myself, funnily enough," she said with a grin. "I also want some answers. And maybe food, if we end up staying out here longer than I'm anticipating."

He paused, breaking at a stop sign. "You're taking this an awful lot better than I did."

Zelda blinked. "Riiight. So shutting yourself in your room with boxes of ice cream and cake and movies with absolutely no human contact for 48 hours is going to help."

"Okay… You sound like you just got dumped."

"Well, that was part of it."

Link made a bad turn, swerving too much and nearly throwing Zelda out of the window. "Sorry! Sorry. Point taken. Um, right. So answers. I can at least give you my side of the whole issue." He was quick to change the subject, Zelda noted as she shakily clutched her seatbelt. Link took a breath. "Uh, so I woke up on Saturday, December 17th whenever I thought it was Sunday on the 25th. I nearly tore my head off trying to think about how I could have dreamed an entire week without trying when I realized I hadn't."

"Ouch," Zelda said, cringing. "I'm sorry."

"That wasn't even the worst of it," he said quietly. "I've literally broken up with my girlfriend at least four times, and this might be a bit horrible for me to say, but I've actually gotten used to it. My friends kept looking at me crazy everytime I tried explaining it to them. It was weird, like as if they were avoiding it, or some part of their brains were blocking it off. I didn't really get it. So I followed the week as I had done before to see if I could get answers."

"But that doesn't explain why I remembered," Zelda replied.

"I'm getting there. See, as it turns out, you seemed to be on the brink of remembering unlike everyone else. That week - the 2nd week, I'll call it, when I realized what was happening - you repeated a phrase that I had said the week before, something I'm sure you couldn't have even thought up unless you remembered me saying it."

"Is this about the whole you-look-like-your-cat-just-died thing?" Zelda asked.

"Exactly." Link grinned. "So the 3rd week rolled by, and it seemed like I wasn't getting anywhere - when I got this letter in the mail. Which was strange because I never got mail from things other than new textbooks. Here, open the glove compartment. It's the one with just my name on the front."

Zelda reached under and pulled the shelf open, then pulled out the letter from the already torn envelope. It was written on some old notebook paper, urgently scrawled as though the writer didn't have much time. There were a bunch of directions and street names listed in order, then a short message at the bottom.

"Collect the key," Zelda read, "necessary to open the path. The connection will be the guide to deactivate the time lapse." Zelda frowned. "Con-connection? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Whenever I got the letter, I tried following those directions listed without heeding the message below. The weird thing was that every time I attempted to follow the road, one of the major ones would be road blocked by construction. I tried going around, finding new roads... I dented Epona a couple times in the process. There was something interfering with me getting there. I didn't really understand what the connection was at the time."

"Do you even have a clue where we're going right now? Or are you just blindly following these directions? You know, this could be some sort of trap that could get us both killed."

"Unfortunately, I have no idea, but it's our only lead. And besides, as terrible as this sounds, I don't really care if I die right now." Link scratched his head. "I apparently needed a link - no pun intended - that had something to do with the time loop. At first I thought it was an object, but then I figured - why couldn't it be living?"

"Then what makes this time different? What exactly is the - "

Zelda stopped, suddenly hit with realization. "The connection… it's me, isn't it."

"Bingo." Link gave a nod in affirmation, his grin growing wider. "You were the only person in this upside down world who shared the same memories as me, albeit vaguely. If that doesn't count as a link or connection, then I don't know what does. I wasn't really sure how to push you in the right direction to remember. I was getting impatient, so…" he smiled sheepishly. "Well, I tried going the Disney route."

"What? 'Waking me up' with a kiss? This isn't Cinderella, you know," Zelda said. She was glad Link had stopped turning in her direction, because she was sure she was blushing again.

"Wrong princess. Sleeping Beauty's more accurate. But you're on the right track." Link leaned back in his chair, cracking his neck. "I needed a connection, desperately enough to get sued for assault if it was necessary. I'm guessing you're the shoe that fits, so to speak."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I don't see you treating me like royalty."

"Would you rather me call you 'Your Highness', or just plain old princess?"

"Don't expect me to call you my Knight in Shining Armor, kid."

"Whatever pleases you, Your Grace."

Zelda didn't answer after that.

"Well, we're here, and not a single roadblock," Link said after a few minutes. "And it's not even seven yet."

Link brought the car to a slow stop. "Oh, wow," Zelda said, looking out the window. "I can see this building from my dorm all the time. I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself."

Link began to get out of the car, his smile dying into a serious scowl.

"A clock tower, huh? How fitting."


	3. Detective

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry for not updating sooner. I got terribly sick with the flu to a point where I got bedridden for a week and a half, so my writing was was thrown off. Also, it was tough to figure out what I was going to do with this chapter anyway. I had a bunch of ideas as to how to take this, but I wasn't really feeling any of them. Thankfully my brother sort of helped me out! Shout out to him! :) (Okay, so maybe I was being lazy. Screw deadlines! I suck at them! I planned to finish this stupid thing two days ago - you can see how well that went!)**

**I'll be updating chapter four sooner to make up for it, though. I don't have too much to say, other than if I get off track or start sounding like I'm speaking a random language that isn't English, feel free to let me know. And I'm kinda nerdy, so if you start somehow getting spasms of fanboy/girlyness (my bro fanboys all the time, so I won't judge), feel free to explode them onto me. Did you catch the Sherlock reference? *snickers* I'm so clever!**

***ahem* Review, Follow, Favorite! Thanks for the reviews!**

**~Blaze**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 3: Detective<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Monday, December 19th<strong>

**8:02 PM**

**Metropolitan Clock Tower - Downtown**

"I really, really don't think you should've kicked down the door."

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a spoilsport."

"Were you one of those kids who used to beat up all the guys to prove that girls were better?"

"If that's what you want to believe, I'm not stopping you."

Link had met the strength of Zelda's demonic hand, but never did he think that she could possibly kick down a metal door in one go. Granted, the hinges were slightly rusted, but the door had been set pretty much in place when Link had tried it.

Man, this woman was scary.

Tightening the grip on his leather bag, Link cautiously followed said woman into the clock tower - or what was left of it, anyway. Broken gears and torn wires were scattered all over the floor. An elevator was in the far back, but it looked out of service. Some of the windows were tinted dull pinks and blues, fitted with bars that made the place look like a prison. Though the hall was big, the walls were all chipped and slowly crumbling, the metal stairs completely covered in shavings of orange rust. Zelda seemed to be contemplating whether or not they should climb them, her one foot on the first step.

"Try going up a couple," Link urged. With a shrug, Zelda obeyed, cringing when it gave a rather unappealing groan.

"It sounds bad," Zelda informed.

"Thank you, for stating the obvious," Link said, joining her on the stairs, "but we gotta keep going. If we can find any sort of clue... I'm willing to bet these stairs aren't going to break on me that easily."

Aren't you brave?" Zelda said with a roll of her eyes.

They were spiralling upward as they went. The tower was huge, but most of the floors were empty. Link found the huge mechanical parts that traveled all the way to the top floor somewhat unsettling. Weirder still was that the wheels were still turning, a continuous clanking sound getting louder as they climbed. They past the first floor, then the second - they made it all the way to the seventh and eighth without any problems, but Link swallowed hard every time one of the stairs made a sound.

At one point, it actually snapped.

One of the stairs gave off a monstrous moan, and the stair under Link's higher foot gave from under his weight. He could only see a flash of red as his heart dropped to his stomach, his body going rigid. "FU - " Link started as his foot went straight through, his body unsuccessful at defying gravity as he was pulled down almost instantly. Zelda instinctively lunged forward, hooking her arms under his shoulders and going down with him, slamming her chin off of the railing.

"Ow ow ow!" She hissed, straining under Link's weight. "Link, try to grab on to the next step. I - you're too heavy!"

"Rude much?!" But Link knew he sounded absolutely terrified, his legs flailing and his hands shaking as he reached for the metal stair. He had never been akin to heights, and hanging fifty feet off the ground wasn't exactly his idea of fun.

"Don't be a smartass and save your own goddess-damned ass!" Zelda shrieked, attempting to yank him up. Link finally grabbed on, pulling himself up by the railing. Panting, he collapsed, staring at Zelda from the other side.

"You said Goddess," he finally managed, helping her across.

"Shut up. And you owe me one."

Link was surprised to find her hands shaking as well.

They continued, seeing no point in turning around - the previous stairs would probably give under their feet after going by them again. This time, Link had his grip tight on the railing, his foot testing every other stair. A couple fell apart, others snapped, others bent dangerously, but somehow they managed to make it to the final floor.

There was something strange about the top floor that made Link's hair stand on end. There was a point where there was a bright blue line that circled the area, starting at the last couple stairs. At that line, the old rusty stairs ended, inconsistently becoming newer, sturdier, heavier steel stairs that looked like newer versions of the dilapidated staircase they had just climbed. The doorway looked like it had just been built, the walls were flawless and not chipped at all, and the windows were a beautiful royal blue instead of a dark navy.

"Weird," Link observed, sweat building on his forehead. "Really weird."

"We've seen stranger," Zelda said honestly, pushing him into the circle. "Now let's go."

Link felt a warm tingling shoot up his back as he entered, pulling the heavy iron door open. He blinked when he saw the inside, his eyes scanning the stone walls and the large glass clock that made up the back wall, the gears clanking rhythmically as if they had just been installed. The blue circle enclosed every corner, filling the room with a warm light. In the center was a large blue orb set on a pedestal.

"...what is that thing?" Link asked, approaching it slowly. "I mean... It looks like everything inside the circle is... Newer. As if time is on a rewind in here."

"Look." Zelda pointed to the far left wall. "Bookshelves."

Link walked forward and pulled some off of the shelves, flipping a couple pages. "Well, this isn't standard script, that's for sure."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Zelda muttered.

"We'll need reference books. There probably is a library around here." Link yawned. "What time is it?"

Zelda checked her phone. "Oh, wow. It's 10:30. We've been here for hours."

"No way we'd be allowed back on campus this late," Link said quietly. "By the time we get back, the seniors will be on night-duty. There aren't any late night events tonight, so they could turn us in."

"Damn strict curfew," Zelda cursed, gritting her teeth. "Why can't it be a normal college?"

Link shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I guess we could either find a hotel, or... Stay here."

Zelda was quiet for a moment. "As long as we don't share a bed and I get a warm blanket, I won't complain."

Surprise made it's way into Link's blank expression. He wasn't expecting her to just go along with it - they didn't even know each other. How was she okay with any of this?

"Zelda."

She looked at him, blinking rapidly. "What?"

"Zelda… it's okay." He exhaled deeply, forcing the air out of his lungs. "I - you - we barely know each other. If you don't want to go through with this, or - "

Her hand on his shoulder made him realize that he had been staring at the floor, and he looked up to meet her deep blue eyes. Zelda was gripping his sleeve, her other hand clenched at her side.

"I'm scared shitless, Link," Zelda admitted. "I really am. I don't know what's going on, and I really am worried that this isn't going to end well. But," she said, raising her voice, "I'm doing this of my own free will. And on top of that, you'd be helpless and probably dead by now if I weren't here." Link wanted to retort, but he was too stunned to do anything. "I don't want to be stuck doing the same thing over and over forever, and I highly doubt you do either. You were forced into this as much as I was, and you aren't responsible for any of it, okay? It's true that I don't know you, but I - " she stopped abruptly, swallowing hard.

"But you…?"

"This may sound stupid, but I - " Zelda blushed, pushing some of hair back behind her ear. Her eyes flashed with determination. "I have this feeling."

Link stared at her, unable to breathe. Suddenly she sputtered, covering her face with her hands. "Agh! I'm sorry, I'm just - "

"No," Link said, finding a small chuckle working it's way through his throat. He laughed, slightly out of hysteria, slightly because he was genuinely grateful although he couldn't exactly place why. His body felt incredibly warm even though he could see his ended up startling her with a brilliant smile.

"You're fine," he said breathlessly. Shaking his head, he shoved his hand in his pockets, nudging his head towards the pile of books. "I'm gonna go check those out. Feel free to join me."

As he turned his back on her, he sort of considered the possibility that he might have scared her off just now. Her hurried footsteps from behind were enough of a consolation.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Tuesday, December 22nd<strong>

**9:03 AM**

**Metropolitan Clock Tower - Downtown**

Link woke up to the smell of dust and vanilla and morning breath, waking him instantly. What time was it? Where the hell was he? Rubbing his eyes, he slid his hand over the drool that had dribbled down his chin and consequently on the book he had been reading.

Memories came rushing back like a migraine. Zelda and he had both scoured the bookshelves to find things to read, and he had probably fallen asleep in the middle of reading. Studying hadn't ever been one of his fortes, anyway. Sighing, he slammed the book shut, his eyes wandering to the notebook he had scribbled all over. He then caught Zelda with her eyes closed and her face peaceful as she quietly breathed with her chin against her chest, her eyes fluttering slightly.

Link tipped back in his chair. He could go and wake her up, but he would risk waking her up. He could discreetly slam a book on the ground, but he didn't exactly want to piss her off, either. So how exactly - !

Apparently he had tipped back just a little too much, because he felt his stomach lurch as he fell backwards against the ground with a terrible crash. He fisted his hair as he groaned, a string of curses escaping his lips.

"Whazzat?" Zelda mumbled, shooting up with surprise. Her eyes lazily trailed the room until they fell on Link's body. "Holy shit! Are you okay?"

Well, it was efficient, if nothing else. Link rolled over onto all fours, slowly getting up and cringing as his muscles stretched. "Rise and shine, princess," Link muttered, patting the nonexistent dirt off of his pants. "You ready to go do some - ow - detective work?"

Zelda just stared at him before bursting into a fit of giggles, rubbing one eye with a smile. "Why are you the one who gets hurt all the time and I'm the one saving you?"

"Correction - you're the cause of said incidents half the time," Link replied grumpily. "I'm pretty sure I passed a library around here, and we need to figure out how to decipher half of those books. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Tuesday, December 22nd<strong>

**11:59 AM**

**Metropolitan Clock Tower - Downtown**

He was watching Zelda as she sipped her coffee - which he had payed for, by the way - and read her textbooks intently, scratching her chin every now and then. He noticed that she had a habit of doing so whenever she was thoughtful. Her left hand was trailing sentences and skimming passages, while her right hand rapidly wrote perfect letters exactly between the lines. She was probably a rapid studier. Maybe he should ask her to teach him how she did it later.

She noticed his staring, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Shouldn't you be helping?" she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing. NO doubt she was trying to keep her voice down in order to avoid catching the attention of the somewhat creepy librarian over in the corner.

"No," he replied coolly, boredly examining the scone he had bought as a makeshift breakfast. "I'm leaving the boring stuff to you. I think I'll be fine with the whole beating people up bit of this adventure."

"Link," she said testily - or was it sternly? really, he was enjoying this more than anything - "for the record, I've been beating you up over the past couple of days. Shut up."

"Maybe I'm just going easy, you know. Maybe I'm just following the chivalric code." He smirked at her with that condescending smirk from her.

"Goddesses, you're a real turd, you know that?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"That's another thing," Link interrupted. "Is that some sort of religious thing, or… I mean, I'm pretty sure the common term is God, not.."

"Oh," Zelda said, taking a moment to take another sip of her coffee. "That's, um, something my mom used to say. She told me stories about these supposed Goddesses who created the world and this strange symbol called the Triforce." Zelda put her right hand on the table. Faintly, Link could see three triangles etched onto the back of her hand. "I got this thing when I was born. Mom told me that it meant that I was destined to save the world or something. I used to think that it was some stupid story she made up until - "

" - until now," Link said quietly. Zelda gave him a strange look as he pulled off his glove from his left hand, raising it up for her to see. The same exact symbol was etched into his own skin.

"...okay," Zelda said, taking a deep breath. "Either my mom was psychic, or I'm the one going insane."

"The last time I went with my father to his site, this very symbol popped up all over the place," he said slowly, taking a bite from his scone. "My father told me it was yet another sign that we had connections to the Harkinian line. I just never realized… I never realized it actually meant something."

"Hmm…" Zelda tapped a finger against her cheek again before pulling out another small notebook from her purse. She began scribbling over the thin paper, careful not to tear it. "I write things down to collect my thoughts," she explained. "So our main objective would be - "

" - to investigate about this… time inconsistency," Link finished.

"Right. We have pieces - a clock tower, a strange note with directions to said clock tower -" Zelda drew an arrow connecting the two. "That means we have a third party who is willing to help us with our objective. We have our family line which dates back at least a millenia, and we have this strange symbol on the back of our hands." Zelda looked up. "Do you remember anything else about this Triforce?"

"Yeah, I know it was considered a perfect symbol to the, uh, Hylians, as the people of the Hyrule Dynasty were once called. There was always some sort of hero mentioned, along with the queen - the people used to worship them as though they were supreme beings as well. There was always a dark entity that tried to abuse the power of the Triforce. They must have had strong views on the triumph of good over evil."

"Huh." Zelda huffed, tapping the pen on the triforce. "If what you're saying is true, then there must be a third bearer of this mark. See? Three triangles. So who… who could that be?"

Link shrugged, finishing his scone and wiping his hands half-heartedly. "Well, if it makes you feel any better…" Link pulled a couple books out of the bottom of the pile he had brought, just hadn't touched. "I asked one of the younger librarians if they had any books pertaining to time during the Hyrulian era. Turns out, they actually did - and most of them were about something called, "The Gate of Time."

Zelda frowned, showing the cover and pointing to the stamp on the bottom. "This says restricted. How did you get these?"

"Keyword: younger," Link said triumphantly.

"You flirted your way through, didn't you," she said in silent fury, her scowl deepening. Link clicked his tongue, leaning forward and putting a hand on her book.

"Don't tell me you're jealous," he breathed. Zelda immediately straightened, her scowl disappearing.

"What? You? No way! Not in a million - "

"SHHHHHH!"

Both heads turned towards the librarian, who had a finger against her lips, shaking her head furiously.

" - years," Zelda hissed before burying herself in the book Link had handed her. Smiling in victory, Link picked up a book himself, flipping through it with sudden motivation.

Link waggled his eyebrows. "So you had a feeling, huh?"

"What - OH, SHUT UP!"

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of bright red eyes were watching.


	4. Disarm

**UPDATE: So I hated the chapter enough to almost completely rewrite it. Sorry it's so short; There really wasn't much I could do.**

**Still some fluff, though. Hope you enjoy!**

**~Blaze**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 4 - Disarm<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Friday, December 20<strong>

**5:45 AM**

**Metropolitan Clock Tower - Downtown**

It seemed that Zelda always found herself tangled in blankets and the faint trace of Link's scent every morning she woke up. It was never there whenever she fell asleep over her work; sleep seemed to come out of nowhere, knocking her out whenever she didn't see it coming. And every morning she'd find her cheek against a pillow as she lay on the table, her body covered in either Link's coat or a blanket she had brought from her dorm room when they ha returned to the University for clothes.

Sighing, she gently pulled both off and folded them up, throwing them neatly over her shoulder as she stretched and yawned. She had woken up particularly early that morning. The sun hadn't even risen; the snow was coming down hard and fast, the windows icy and chilly. Thank the goddesses that the time-shift stone kept the heating on, or else she'd be dead by now.

She hurried down the stairs - nearly slipping as one of them bent - and checked each floor, searching for Link's form in the rooms. At last she found him on the seventh floor, his quiet grunts echoing from behind the door.

"Link - " Zelda instantly cut herself off when she saw him, her mouth falling open.

A metal sword was clasped in his hand, his fist on his back as he thrust his arm forward in practiced techniques of lunging and stabbing air. Link's feet moved together, one pointing forward, the other in a ninety-degree angle from his ankle. His body was covered in sweat and muscle, his shirt on the floor and his eyes sharp and focused. Zelda never had seen him so… so concentrated on one thing. He always seemed jumpy and eccentric, always unable to keep his mind on one activity, never taking anything seriously. He looked like he was dancing almost, his movements so graceful and tight.

He seemed to notice her presence after a while, and he stopped, meeting her gaze as he panted. Zelda caught herself staring, and she averted her gaze and crossed her arms.

"Is this… is this what you do? Whenever I'm asleep."

"Well, yeah," Link replied casually. He grabbed a towel that was sitting on a chair in the back, ruffling it over his hair and his chest. "The heater's too much to handle, and since you're asleep, I come down here and get a load off of my shoulders. I guess you could call it an outlet for stress." He put down his blade, cracking his knuckles and rolling his wrist. "My father used to take me for fencing and kendo classes since I was obsessed with swords as a kid. I thought I may as well stay in practice."

"You should've woken me up," Zelda said quietly. She tossed the blanket across the room, throwing off her sweatshirt to reveal a T- Shirt. She cringed at the cold, shivering slightly, but she convinced herself that she'd get used to it. "I would've sparred with you."

Link quirked an eyebrow. "Thanks, but I'll pass. You're literally a monster when it comes to beating me up."

"Oh, come on," Zelda challenged, cracking her knuckles. "I'll go easy on you."

Rolling his eyes and grumbling, Link picked up the metal sword again, his eyes glazing over as he sized her up. "Be careful," he warned. "People are normally supposed to wear full body guards whenever they do fencing. If I hit you… You might get bruised pretty badly."

"I've broken my nose enough times to know terrible pain," Zelda said, falling into stance. "Come at me."

Link was a lot faster than she had thought possible. She barely managed to jump back as he lunged for her stomach, his blade cutting air where she had once stood. Pivoting on her feet, she dodged, raising her foot at his head. Link immediately raised his right hand, stopping her foot and grabbing her ankle. Kicking her body over, she twisted her captured ankle along with his wrist and brought her foot down in attempt to throw him against the floor. Instead, he let go, forcing her to stumble back on her feet.

"Still want to go easy on me?" Link said with a smirk, spinning around and lashing out with his sword.

"Well…. you're not as bad as I thought you were," Zelda replied with an equally matched grin.

They sparred for what felt like an hour, dodging and kicking and stabbing and blocking. Zelda managed to get him in the jaw and knee, while Link pointed out that if he had a real sword, her side would have been gushing with blood by now. Zelda admired how easily Link controlled his blade, his movements fast enough to make her dodge, but weak enough to not cause too many bruises.

By the end of it, they were panting incredibly hard, their eyes fixed in concentration, their eyebrows creased and their bodies heaving. Zelda felt the sweat dripping off of her face, her shirt soggy and sticky.

Link went for one more stab with his left hand, and Zelda stepped slightly to the left, skimming the blade with a hand as Link moved in. She grabbed his arm and wrenched the fencing sword out of his grasp, spinning out of the way.

"Ha - !" Zelda gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I - won!"

Link grumbled, putting his hands on his knees and breathing hard. "FIne," he relented, cracking his neck. "Although, I highly doubt you know how to fence."

Blinking, Zelda attempted to stand similarly to what Link had done. Instead, everything she did felt uncomfortable, and she sighed, loosening her grip.

"Well, that isn't way off," Link said, his eyes falling to her feet. He approached her from up front, lightly tapping her knees into a lunge formation. Pain shot up her spine, but Zelda tried not to complain.

"Hmm… well, your feet have to be in a sharper angle than that - yeah, that's good. And when you lunge forward, your shoulders have to be broader… twist your waist a bit more - "

Zelda went rigid when she felt his breath touch her neck, suddenly conscious of how close he was. His warm body was radiating heat onto her back, his one hand on her elbow, the other against her waist. Link took in a breath as he met her eyes, lost within hers, his grip tightening ever so slightly.

And then he let go, and Zelda exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath. Clearing her throat, she hugged herself tightly, feeling the cold creep up her back again.

"Thanks for bringing my coat," Link said, picking up the folded fleece jacket and throwing it over his body. He tossed her the sweatshirt she had discarded before, and she gratefully pulled it on.

"What exactly do you want to do, anyway?" She asked, trying to keep her heart steady. "We've been hanging out here and in the library for so long, and we still haven't gotten much information." She creased her brow again. "The Gate of Time's a good start, but we just need a location. And as for time-shift stones, they aren't really much of a use to us."

"How about a museum?" Link offered. "There's one not even twenty minutes from here. We can hop in Epona and head for the one with the new exhibit on Greek Paintings. They're bound to have some sort of lead." Link smiled, turning to face her. "I have seasonal passes since my class always heads over once during the summer."

Zelda gave him a thumbs up, a grin lighting her face. "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

><p><strong>Week 5 - Friday, December 20<strong>

**12:32 PM**

**The Museum of Historical Artifacts - Downtown**

Zelda, to be honest, wasn't enjoying herself all that much as they walked through the different sections and exhibits, her body mechanically following LInk as he browsed with a light in his eyes. She spent most of the time staring at his back, her eyes only glancing at old sculptures and dark paintings. Now that she thought about it… Zelda tilted her head to the side, her hand against her cheek in a thoughtful pose. She didn't really know much about Link. Of course she knew he was great at fencing and had an interest in ancient literature, but that wasn't really much to go on.

She cleared her throat, deciding to attempt conversation. "So, uh, Link…

Link nodded once, although his smile straightened this time. "Ahh. Hey, look - we've arrived."

Link allowed her to walk in first, and her mouth dropped open, her eyes lingering on the paintings. "Holy…" Zelda started, her hand brushing her lips. Paintings of swords and wolves and large temples were hung on the walls and in the middle of it all -

"Is that supposed to be a miniature Gate of Time?" Zelda asked, pointing to the painted gear in a showcase in the center of the room. It looked slightly bigger than her head, the lilac and pale pink shine blurring into a strange mix of colors, bright blue symbols covering the front. It was embedded into the pedestal.

"Yeah," Link replied. "That was painted by one of the first archeologists who uncovered the temples from a long time ago. It was only found a decade ago, though. Nobody knows for sure who painted it, but…"

He trailed off, his eyes fixed on the stand. "Hey…" Link said, frowning slightly. "Is it just me, or does it sound like…"

"Air is escaping from under it," Zelda said, cutting him off. She crouched down, feeling the ends - sure enough, there was a break between the tile and where the pedestal was set. "The map shows no basement underneath this floor, but is it possible there is an opening under here?"

"Well, we'll need to find a switch of some sort," Link replied, putting his hand against the glass. "If only there was some sort of clue - "

The second Zelda put her own hand on the glass, there was a sudden shift under their feet. Suddenly the backs of their hands glowed, shining a bright golden, and both of them shouted in surprise. Conveniently, the room was empty, and it seemed like no one was coming for their aid. Zelda cringed as he hand stung, its light becoming blinding.

And then, all at once, the ground opened up from under them.

"Zel - "

"Link - "

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" They both screamed, suddenly grabbing each other's hands as they flew through were falling incredibly fast, hurtling quickly towards the ground. Zelda suddenly felt sick in her stomach, which thankfully cleared her head enough to understand that she was probably going to die.

Wonderful.

And then it stopped, and Zelda and Link both slammed against the stone floor with a dead thud, falling into a tangled mess of limbs. Somewhere in the back of her head, Zelda knew that the drop they fell from was supposed to kill them, but she was just going to rely on the notion that Goddesses were watching over her. With a heavy grunt, she looked up at the ceiling - and let out another groan when she saw that the floors they had fallen through had closed themselves. Guess they weren't finding a way out any time soon.

"This is why," Zelda heaved, "I don't go on elevators. Ever."

"Amen to that," Link said with a pained cough. Zelda stood and then reached for his hand, which he took gratefully.

"At least my phone's alive, though. We'll have a light source for a while - "

She didn't get to finish her sentence, because suddenly the room erupted with a warm glow. It hurt her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them again, she took in a breath.

"...or, that works too," Zelda said, pocketing her phone with a shrug.

There were millions of torches scattered across the room, all of them coming alive the moment they stepped through the doorway. The place was huge, the ceilings reaching at least five stories high, the black stone walls bouncing warm light back and forth over their empty shells. Everything was covered with undergrowth and cobwebs, weeds squeezing through cracks in the stone and curling around in long strings of vines. It was dank and musty, and yet it carried a certain beauty - it seemed mysterious and charming and almost alive, as though the air itself was a tangible, breathing substance.

And in the center of it all stood the Gate of Time.

The Gate was massive, the lilac face shifting between purple and pink, standing in midair behind a pedestal. The twelve teeth sat perfectly in the dark gears that tore through the fabric of space and time. It was much more beautiful in person than it was in the books she had swept through while in the library.

"Holy…" Link started, laughing out of sheer awe. "This is it! Goddesses, my dad would have killed to be in my spot. Zelda, we found it! This is the key that the note was talking about!"

Zelda's eyes didn't move from the lanterns; she was still slightly bothered that they had caught fire by themselves. "Link... The Gate of Time isn't moving. And the symbols are all missing. See? It's… completely blank."

And indeed, it was frozen stiff, the faint glow of the symbols invisible on the front of the Gate. Link scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "Ooops?" he said.

"Well, now we just need someone to explain what's going on," Zelda said, rolling her eyes with a smile.

".. I think I fit that description fairly well."

Both of them jumped, startled by the new voice. Zelda turned and found her eyes meeting dark red ones. It was a woman with short blonde hair, her face covered by a dark black scarf that went up to her nose. Her arms were covered in bandages, her pants coming up to her ankles and meeting her boots. A single tear tattoo sat under her right eye.

"Who are you?" Link asked, his hand brushing against Zelda's wrist, pushing her slightly back.

The woman took a breath, closing her eyes. "My name is Impa; and I am the one who stopped time."


End file.
